Bettis doesn't make Pro Football Hall of Fame cut; former PSU player does

Saturday

Feb 2, 2013 at 7:27 PMFeb 2, 2013 at 7:29 PM

By Ed Bouchette

NEW ORLEANS — Dave Robinson left the relative wilderness that was Penn State in the early 1960s for the most remote outpost of the NFL, Green Bay.

There, not only did he join those great Packers teams of the decade, but also he became a big part of their success.

Robinson the first black starting linebacker in the NFL, was elected today to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He and six others make up the Class of 2013 that will be inducted this summer at Canton, Ohio.

Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis reached the final 10 of the original 15 modern day finalists, but then was eliminated on the vote to the final five. Former Steelers linebacker Kevin Greene was eliminated in the vote to 10.

Robinson, 71, is the sixth player from Penn State in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was one of two senior nominees.

He played for Rip Engle's Nittany Lions teams and joined the Packers as their first-round draft pick in 1963. His career spanned 12 seasons, including the final two with the Washington Redskins.

He played outside linebacker in Green Bay, where he was part of three NFL championship teams, including the first two Super Bowl winners.

Robinson made three Pro Bowls. He intercepted 27 passes in his career and made the all-1970s NFL decade team.